Entries in Sneakers
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Voodoo Ray of 21 MercerHow did you get here? I has hired by Nike as a concierge at 255 because I danced all my life and I knew mad people in the industry, so that's why I was hired there. But then, I was always a sneakerhead and used to mess with the builder, and I'm a consumer with a fashion background so it was easy to switch from concierge to design consultant. That's how I got here at 21 Mercer.

What are your fashion influences? Yohji Yamamoto, Matsuda, even as simple as American Apparel. Lately Nike has been really stepping it up with their apparel; like all that Loopwheeler stuff? I've been snatchin' up like all that Loopwheeler stuff- it just feels great, ya know? I don't like boxy t-shirts, I like t-shirts where the sleeves cut down so it fits better on the arm instead of sticking out all boxy. Those 21 shirts were purrrrfect; I got a couple of those. It makes it look like a grown man's fit: like an expensive t-shirt.

If you could design shoes for anyone, who would that be? It has to be somebody who would appreciate it, like an older audience, but I don't think older singers would appreciate this as much as the newer cats. I would like to work with Drake because right now he's on fire and i know he would like it. He would definitely get hooked and keep coming back to me over and over. Ultimately, it would be Stevie. I love loooove Stevie Wonder.

Tell me about Stevie: There was a time in my life when stuff was going crazy with relationships, and I was trying to move, and I couldn't find a place, and I couldn't afford the one I was at, and nothing was going right, ya know? So that's when I would just smoke a jay, and just listen to some Stevie, and it was like an open book- it was like The Bible. I would be fine.

I've danced for a lot of celebrities and there's a handful that when I met them, I lost my cool. I was Like, "uhhhhhhhhhh." Stevie. Michael. Sade. All three of those made very influential music to me and when I met them I had a loss for words. With Michael it was like, wow. Wowwwwwwwwwww. WOW. I must have said, "wow" like twenty times.

What would you do with Stevie? Would you concentrate on exotic textures? I would select colors from particular albums and let him know that I did the research. "Talking Books" was these colors, "Innervisions" was these colors, "Music for the Masses" was these colors. I would love to textures he could touch that would reflect the feeling and colors of these albums. It would have to come from this (Bespoke) section.

What are you doing with your hair these days? I need a damn haircut. I was gonna cut it all off. I tried to let it grow and I haven't had this much hair in a minute. I'm liking it, but it's in that half-stage where it's like, "whoa, what the hell is going on?" Let me keep a little hat on, let it grow a little bit more, I'm letting it poof little bit more, but I'm keeping a crown on it right now. Yeah, but how long you in town? Like I said, I need a cut. I need your help.

Make an appointment with Voodoo Ray for your custom Nikes at 21 Mercer.